Rainford Kalaba has been ruled out of Saturday’s 2014 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
And defender Stopilla Sunzu has joined camp and started light training with the team in Ndola.
Team Doctor Joseph Kabungo said Kalaba needed to complete rest for his calf injury to heal.
Kalaba has been carrying an injury for the last two weeks
“For now I think he won’t make it for this weekend’s game because we need to give him a bit of time to fully recover and keep monitoring him,” Dr Kabungo said.
“But from a medical point of view he is out.
“We will see how he will respond by next week but chances are still are at 50 per cent to make the Sudan game.”
And Dr Kabungo said Sunzu was in the team purely for his rehabilitation programme only.
“As you noticed he was not part and parcel of the whole groups training we have a programme for him which he will continue,” Dr Kabungo said.
“He is not part of this weekend’s game neither will be part of the Sudan game.”
Injury has ruled the young man out and inevitably someone has to take over his position. We have no cause to worry. Personally Iam convinced some one will step in his shoes and deliver, perhaps even better. Most games are won or lost in the middle field and my own analysis tells me that the recent pedestrian performance of the national team is linked to the loss in form of most of our middle fielders.A great deal though lies squarely in the hands of Renard. Who will he feature?
In the game against Lasotho, we will have changes in three critical areas; the goal keepeing department, the central defense and the middle field. Renard, this is the time to prove you have what it takes to come up with a winning side.
We have enough good players. Let us see what Renard can do.
Chipolopolo will poleka! Zambia will fall to the Masole of the House of Moshoeshoe!
This good news and a blessing as Rainford is overrated and should have been dropped a long time ago…..he was awful at the Afcon 2013 as he could not convert any dead balls in corners and free kicks…its no wonder this boy could not pull it off in Sporting Braga. Is it that he is way past his peak and he is another case of age cheating with our boys in Africa and he is not really 26 years old?
@Jay Jay. The boy is not overrated he was actually very good but its injury which has kept him off form. If you were following the afcon 2013 closely, you would know that he had just recovered from a groin injury barely weeks before the start of the competition hence the reason for his poor performance.
must win game othwise……………………………kaya